Sally Shapiros Secret Disco

The tale of Sally Shapiro reads a little like a script to an episode of The Office. The acts two central figures  Johan Agebjorn and "Sally Shapiro, whose real identity is unknown  even tell it in awkward deadpan, a habit of their reticent Swedish accents. "We met each other working at the same office, doing administrative work for an organisation, admits producer/songwriter Agebjorn. "We got to know each other but we didnt speak about music. It took several years to discover that we had the same musical tastes. The titular singer adds: "It started when we were singing Christmas carols together, and Johan said, Oh, you have an Italo disco voice.

Its easy to picture the socially inelegant Michael Scott cajoling mousy Pam Beesley into a similar project, considering the Euro-centric subgenres history, which is as obscure as it is considered cheesy. But with Disco Romance, the duos debut, Sally Shapiro has become an underground hit, sending hipsters and DJs, clubbers and collectors in search of the forgotten retro-futuristic, synth-heavy sound forged by electronic pioneer Giorgio Moroder.

Agebjorns swirling synths, bubbling pulses and wind-swept fills provide the perfect foundation for Shapiros apathetic vocal tenderness. Often viewed as a svengali partnership, thats exactly what the pair were looking for: to follow the trend popularised in the 80s by Eurobeat producers Stock Aiken Waterman and past Italo disco acts. "I chose [the name] Sally Shapiro because we were inspired by artists like Valerie Dore and Katy Gray, who also had a team of producers and writers behind them using the name of a singer as the title for the project, explains Agebjorn. "We wanted to make it as authentic as possible in the 80s disco tradition.

As for that identity, Shapiro herself clarifies her secrecy is both a part of the game and also irrelevant. "[My real name] has nothing to do with pop music. Its like how it was in the 80s, its nothing special. Unlike the music, that is.